Do you have a dessert that with one bite immediately takes you back to your childhood? My mom made these cookies every Christmas and my siblings and I would sit around the table and spend hours decorating them. This recipe is my Grandma Lily’s and I’ve updated it to include a buttercream recipe that sets as it dries. I really am sharing not only a recipe, but with it a whole bunch of my favorite memories, so I hope you enjoy it! You’ll see different shapes and frosted cookies throughout the recipe because you can easily customize these and make them for any occasion!
The best part of making sugar cookies is how simple they are. Whether you want to decorate them really fancy, have your kids decorate them the way my mom did, or spread on frosting and top with sprinkles to cover any mistakes, they turn out perfect! You can also easily customize them to the holiday or event you’re celebrating. I’ve made these for Christmas, Valentines Day, July 4th, birthdays, the Super Bowl, you name it!
Recipe Tips:
- Chill your dough: This is a super important step! I chill my dough at least for 1 hour, but most times I try to make this the night before to let it chill overnight. After I roll the dough out and cut out shapes, I add those cookies back into the fridge to chill until I bake them. That way they don’t lose their shape!
- Do not roll too thin: I like to keep my cookies between 1/4 and 1/2 an inch. You don’t want them to be too think or thin!
- Do not over bake! My cookies take 8 minutes and I remove them from the oven. I like them to be just starting to turn golden brown on the outside and no more. This helps to create that soft sugar cookie we all love! The time will vary depending on the size of your cookie and how thick you roll them, so keep an eye on the first batch to make sure you catch them before they over bake!
- These freeze really well! My mom would always double or triple this recipe, bake them all up and freeze them for future parties. You can also ice them and then freeze them. Perfect for making a big batch and bringing them out for holiday parties 🙂
- Piping tips: When we were kids we would just spread the frosting right on and top with sprinkles. If you’d like to try and elevate the cookies by piping the buttercream on, I suggest using a basic piping tip and bag set like this one. I didn’t want to add a ton of sprinkles, so I used colored sanding sugar to take these up a notch. It may seem intimidating, but with these simple piping tips and sanding sugar, your cookies will look professional!
These cookie cutters are from Wilton and are honestly great to have on hand. You use them once or twice a season and store them away until the following year! I really hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! My love for baking comes primarily from memories with my mom and grandmas, and this recipe specifically was a holiday tradition. If you’re looking for other cookie recipes, click here!
Did you love this recipe? Please rate and leave a comment below 🙂
The Best Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
For the sugar cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg room temperature
- 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
For the buttercream
- ¾ cup salted butter room temperature
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp salt
- food coloring, if needed
Instructions
For the sugar cookies:
- In a stand mixer, cream room temperature butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add in vanilla and egg and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until the dough comes together.
- At this point you can cover the dough with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill, but I find it easier to cut the cookies and then chill the dough. If you're cutting before, lightly dust your counter with flour and roll out the dough to about ¼-½ inch thick. Using your desired cookie cutters, cut out the shapes and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Re-roll out the dough and repeat cutting out shapes until all of the dough is used up. Cover pans with saran wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour, but up to overnight.
- Turn the oven onto 350°. Arrange cookies about 1 ½ inch apart on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges just start to turn golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let them sit on the cookie sheet for two minutes. Then remove and add to a cookie rack to cool completely.
For the buttercream:
- Add the butter and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add in the vanilla, salt and heavy cream and mix on medium until smooth and incorporated. Divide into different bowls and dye with the colors you prefer. This buttercream does stiffen up, so if it sits too long mix vigorously with a spoon or whisk and it will become smooth again. Decorate cookies and enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Tag @mymessykitchenn on Instagram and hashtag it #mymessykitchen, or leave a comment on this page!
Corrie Jacob
Just printed the recipe-can’t wait to try it! One question! What kind of food coloring do you use for the icing?
Emily
Corrie I am sooo excited for you to try these!! I love the gel colors because they don’t effect the consistency of the icing. I prefer to use the Wilton gel food coloring, but my mom always used the liquid and it didn’t seem to make a huge difference!! Let me know how they turn out!! 🙂
Sarah
Is this Buttercream shelf stable?